


Vines

by Koschei_Oakdown



Category: Green Lantern - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-13
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-09 20:43:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15275820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Koschei_Oakdown/pseuds/Koschei_Oakdown
Summary: Hal refuses to get well soon





	Vines

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to DC Comics

If Hal was trying for subtlety, he wasn't pulling it off. Branches crunched under his feet, leaves rustled, and Thaal would've been able to hear his approach even while half deaf. "Did I not tell you to remain on Earth?" Sinestro asked, but it wasn't exactly a question, more of a reminder that Hal wasn't supposed to be there.

For a brief moment, the sound of Hal pushing through the trees stopped, but then it grew so much louder as the human gave up all pretences and flew to Sinestro's side. "You might have done," Hal agreed, his voice sounding slightly off, "but I plead temporary hearing loss. All clogged up, you know, that totally includes my ears." As if to emphasise his point, Hal sneezed, then he sneezed again.

Slightly disgusted, watching Hal warily for any flying germs, Thaal took a quick step back, though he knew his ring would prevent him from catching anything. "Then hear me now, Jordan," Sinestro instructed, deeming he was at a suitable distance away. "Go back to Earth, or even Oa, if it suits you. Your 'temporary hearing loss' will only be a hindrance here."

Hal's face fell, then it screwed up as he sneezed again. "No," he sniffed, "I don't want to. Please, Sinestro." Unexpectedly, Hal threw himself forward and grabbed onto Sinestro's arm. His body temperature was fevered, so it was an unusual sensation. "I'll be good, I promise. I'll do anything you say. Just don't send me back to wallow in my own misery, it's horrible." He sounded so desperate, his pleas so heartfelt, that Thaal couldn't bring himself to refuse. Besides, the mission wasn't anything particularly dangerous, Hal would be unlikely to come to any harm.

"Very well," Sinestro agreed, and gently pried Hal's fingers from his arm. "You may stay." Before Hal could get too excited, Thaal held up a finger, forestalling him. "But if you get any worse, I reserve the right to change my mind and you will be leaving." There was no better deal Hal would be getting, and the human seemed to realise that, nodding his head in acknowledgement. "Good. Shall we?"

With Hal now accompanying him, occasionally sniffling, Sinestro continued on. Perhaps sending Hal back would have been the sensible thing to have done. With anyone else, it would've been, but Hal, in disagreeing with Sinestro's decision, would undoubtedly have found some other way to get what he wanted, some way that wasn't quite so safe. Here at least, Thaal could keep an eye on him.

After a few moments of silence, Hal started up, yapping about whatever took his fancy. The familiar sound was slightly different than usual, more raspy, more fogged up, which Thaal could only assume was due to Hal's illness. Nothing serious, he'd been assured multiple times, Hal was doing his best to make sure Sinestro didn't decide to send him away.

Having Hal back was nice. It had been very quiet without him and while that wasn't usually a bad thing, Thaal had become rather accustomed to Hal's cheerful chatter. Even a few hours without it had seemed odd. "- and I landed safely on the ground, despite everyone freaking out," Hal was saying, back to his favourite subject of flying vehicles. "I don't get what the big deal was, I - ow!" Startled, Sinestro whipped around, only to see Hal had tripped over some vines and was now tangled up in them. "Stupid plants!"

Annoyed, Hal began to tug at the vines with an aggressive grip, ripping out a handful from the roots and managing to cut himself. Before the situation could escalate any further, Sinestro stepped in, dropping to one knee and catching Hal's hands. "That's enough. You must be respectful of the plant life, Jordan, it is hardly its fault you have clumsy feet." Hal didn't fight him, just sat still as Thaal began to untangle the vines with careful hands.

"Respect the plant life?" Hal sounded amused. "Yeah, OK. Whatever you say, Sin. Guess I should've learnt my lesson when I tried mowing that carnivorous grass when I was hanging out with Tomar-Re. It tried to eat me!"

A slight smile curved at the corner of Sinestro's lips in response to the story. "How shocking. Who could imagine carnivorous grass would try to eat someone? It seems so very out of character." Sometimes, he really did have to wonder what went on inside Hal's head if the human wasn't making connections this obvious.

"Not really," Hal mused, missing the point entirely. He fell silent, and Thaal spent the time untangling more of the vines, aware of Hal watching him. "He's not like you." There was something different in the tone, and Sinestro glanced up, one eyebrow raised in a question. That brought a smile to Hal, who then tilted his head back, looking to the stars. "Tomar, I mean. Well, no one's like you, I guess, but I…" Hal yawned, and just for a moment, his eyelids fluttered shut. That was enough for Thaal.

"Up," Sinestro commanded, freeing Hal of the last of the vines and straightening his back. In case the message wasn't clear, he held out a hand, offering it to Hal as help to stand. "I told you I would not allow this to continue if you worsened. Will you deny me?" If Thaal had to chain Hal down to a bed and lock several doors to keep him in one place, he would. Better angry and trapped than dead.

"I'm fine," Hal protested, scrambling to his feet without aid. Skeptical, Sinestro stood too. "Maybe a little tired, sure, but I'm -" Cutting himself off, he sneezed, which didn't do much in his favour. "Sinestro, please." It may have worked before but this time, Thaal was determined he would not be bargained with. Already, he had tried Hal's way, and it had failed.

"No, Jordan," Sinestro insisted, lifting his chin for a look of absolute authority. "You will return to Earth, or Oa, whichever you -" There was a sound, very slight, in the trees behind Sinestro and he whipped around, ring coming up in line with his shoulder. At his side, Hal created a construct that lit up the area around them. Nothing but trees were visible, but that didn't lower Sinestro's guard. "Show yourself!"

Acting sensibly for once, Hal was silent, only the steady light of his construct indicating his presence. Then he sneezed and a bird flew out of the trees where Thaal had been staring. Threat over, Sinestro relaxed, before rounding on Hal, ready to return to the argument more fierce than ever. "Paranoid," Hal muttered, rolling his eyes, and he hit the ground with a thud. "Whoa, dizzy. In hindsight, construct - very bad idea. Think I need a lie down."

As Hal all but fell asleep at that point, Thaal made and executed the decision to take him to Oa, no arguing necessary. Throughout the flight and Sinestro getting him settled into Oa, Hal seemed dead to the world, but as soon as he was about to be left behind, he miraculously regained awareness, clinging to Sinestro's arm like a lifeline. His brown eyes were imploring, difficult to refuse, even as he used his strength, surprising for the state he was in, to pull Sinestro closer. "Are you angry with me?" Hal murmured, looking sicker than ever, hair plastered to his forehead with sweat.

"No," Sinestro answered truthfully, working on prying Hal's fingers off his arm, again. Unfortunately, even with his ring off and beside him on the table, Hal's grip was unbreakable and Thaal was fighting in a losing battle. "Stay here and get better, Hal, I will return for you."

"On Oa?" Hal glanced around, clearly unimpressed. "I spend more time here than you do on Korugar. Actually no, that would be impossible, but you get the point, don't you?" Thaal did understand Hal's hatred of being left behind, yes, but there was no other option. To Hal however, there did seem to be one, for he gripped tighter to Sinestro's arm. "I'll cry if you leave." It was said in a rush, not planned at all, and the liquid collecting on Hal's eyelashes was proof enough of his sincerity. If Hal hadn't been sick, the decision would've been easy.

"You will," Sinestro acknowledged and with a sigh, he sat down, resigning himself to not leaving. He could wait until Hal had fallen asleep and then leave, but if the human woke while he was gone, the problem wouldn't be solved. If Hal was busy crying, he wouldn't get better, and if he didn't get better, Sinestro wouldn't get his student back. There really was only one thing to do. 

Smiling at him, Hal released his arm and gripped Sinestro's hand instead. Then he rolled over so he was facing Sinestro, clutching his hand to his chest, and his eyes drifted shut, face smoothing out into something much more peaceful. That set Sinestro's decision into concrete, there was no way he could risk disturbing that peace. His sector would just have to do without him for a while.


End file.
